Save Article

In Victory for Senate Plan, Thousands Will Be Hired
For Screening at Airports After One-Year Transition

By

Greg Hitt and

Martha BranniganStaff Reporters of The Wall Street Journal

Updated Nov. 16, 2001 12:01 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON -- President Bush embraced a legislative compromise that would put the government in charge of air security, two months after deadly terrorist hijackings exposed deep flaws in the current system.

"Safety comes first," Mr. Bush said in a written statement. "And when it comes to safety, we will set high standards and enforce them." The president said he looks "forward to signing this important legislation into law."

The accord forged Thursday cleared away the last major impediment snarling an initiative that Mr. Bush had called for after the Sept. 11 attacks. The legislation calls for the strong federal role favored by the Democratic-controlled Senate, which had passed an aviation-security bill 100-0. But after weeks of sometimes partisan-edged debate, leaders of both the Senate and the Republican-led House moved to middle ground, suggesting the measure will reach President Bush's desk with strong bipartisan support. A final vote is expected as early as today.

"I would expect very few no votes," said House Majority Leader Richard Armey of Texas. "It's going to pass."

The legislation would effectively put the airlines and their much-criticized private contractors out of the security business. After a one-year transition period, the government would assume full responsibility for the crucial job of screening passengers and baggage. More than 20,000 workers will be hired and trained to meet tougher new standards under a program to be overseen by the Transportation Department. "We're in the business," said Sen. John Breaux of Louisiana, a Democrat.

In a concession to the House, where conservatives defended the private security companies, local airports could after two years appeal for permission to opt out of the government-run system and use private contractors overseen by federal supervisors. But lawmakers said they expect few facilities will ever exercise that option. There also will be a small program allowing as many as five airports to experiment with private contractors. But even so, the bill is a major blow to the industry. William Vassell, chairman and chief executive of
Command Security Corp.
of LaGrangeville, N.Y., blasted the legislation. He said his company will assess whether it has legal recourse to recoup lost revenue from the government.

"If we raised the standards and requirements with the federal government as a customer, we wouldn't need a federal bureaucracy of 28,000 employees," said Mr. Vassell, whose firm provides airport services at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and Miami International Airport. "This is not the answer."

Mr. Vassell predicted it will be impossible for the government to hire and train 28,000 airport screeners, as lawmakers envision. Meanwhile, David Beaton, CEO of Argenbright Security, the largest airport-security firm in the U.S., warned of possible morale problems at the companies during the transition. Nevertheless, he pledged to cooperate in the months ahead. Argenbright is a unit of England's
Securicor
PLC.

"As security professionals, it is our intention to work with the Department of Transportation during this critical transition period to ensure that security remains high at the nation's airports," he said.

While the transition may be chaotic, the Bush administration appeared committed to making it work. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said he has met with industry leaders to discuss a rapid transition beginning during the holiday season. "To do this kind of training, we feel we're going to have to go on some kind of wartime footing in order to train these people well and as quickly as possible," Mr. Mineta said.

The agreement, reached between Senate Commerce Chairman Ernest Hollings (D., S.C.) and House Transportation Chairman Don Young (R., Alaska), came days after the crash of an American Airlines jetliner in New York. Federal investigators have found no evidence of terrorist involvement. But the deaths of 260 people on board provided a sobering backdrop to the House and Senate negotiations, and appeared to speed lawmakers toward compromise.

The legislation attempts to make a unified security system from what was at best a patchwork of public and private entities. The widened federal role would go far beyond the issue of screeners. The legislation would increase the law-enforcement presence throughout airports, beefing up perimeter security as well as at check points, and provide for hiring thousands of air marshals to ride on commercial flights.

The bill would require the screening of all checked baggage for explosives within 60 days of enactment. As of the end of September, there were 142 explosive-screening machines at only 47 airports nationwide. The legislation would require such machines at all 419 airports with commercial service by the end of 2002. Until then, all checked bags would be required to be scrutinized by other means. The cost of the increased security would be paid for in part by a passenger fee of as much as $10 per round-trip ticket, which would raise about $1.5 billion a year.